


Lingua Florum

by hibiren



Series: Jay's Gladnis Collection [29]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Altissia (Final Fantasy XV), Developing Relationship, Feels, First Kiss, Flowers, Gift Giving, Gladnis, Language of Flowers, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Promises, Romance, Sweet, Zine: Full Bloom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:29:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21919117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: [Piece for Full Bloom Zine]An idle evening in Altissia left Ignis wandering through various shops and stands. Golden hues sparkled against the water nearby, scattering shimmery reflections into the sunset. He browsed the display windows and their wares with mild interest, his mind fighting through a thousand things at once. A walk should have sufficed to clear his head, but the distractions of the emerging nightlife only made his crowded thoughts more claustrophobic...
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: Jay's Gladnis Collection [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1151849
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17
Collections: Full Bloom Zine (Final Fantasy XV)





	Lingua Florum

**Author's Note:**

> Ah yes!! My main piece for the [FFXV Full Bloom Zine](https://twitter.com/fullbloomzine) can finally be posted!! Here it is~ I had a LOT of fun with this floral zine, and it made my inner gardener/plant-lover super super happy! I also made lots of friends thanks to this team and I really hope I can work with them again someday~

An idle evening in Altissia left Ignis wandering through various shops and stands. Golden hues sparkled against the water nearby, scattering shimmery reflections into the sunset. He browsed the display windows and their wares with mild interest, his mind fighting through a thousand things at once. A walk should have sufficed to clear his head, but the distractions of the emerging nightlife only made his crowded thoughts more claustrophobic.

Something wasn’t right.

An empty bench nearby called to him, and wearily he settled into it. Shoppers and their companions passed by, bags in hand, their chatting dulled to a murmur while his mind struggled to process everything simultaneously. As the sun made its descent toward the water, Ignis came to a realization when he watched a young couple walk by, illuminated beneath the street lights, holding hands and smiling at each other as if nothing else around them mattered.

_I wonder, will I have that one day?_

His first duty was to Noctis. His second was to himself. Was it not? If he didn’t keep himself clear of distraction, he would surely fall behind. He had to be fully attentive while at the same time giving the Prince - and others - space when necessary, to avoid coming across as overbearing. Ignis walked a delicate line between Tactician and Friend, and wondered if the overall casual nature of their adventure was dimming his sense. He pictured what his life would be like if he could browse the streets peacefully like this, not a care in the world, hand-in-hand with someone he cherished.

But who would that other hand belong to? He never thought much of dating. Responsibility came first. But his mind began to wander dangerously once again… at 22, what had he accomplished, personally? Outside of cooking, he felt oddly stranded when it came to his own social development. He knew all the cues and all the details of associating with various types of people on a daily basis and yet he struggled through personal debates. Small talk left him somewhat uneasy.

Dating and romance only lived inside his mind as candlelight flickers, brief glimpses of a dreamed-up self indulgence. Never, outside of ceremony, had he received flowers. Hardly had he been able to entertain the thought of having a romantic interest, lest he risk being a hindrance to his post. The only people he'd really spent the majority of his life with were Noctis and Gladio, and Prompto by extension.

Gladio… it was true, there were days the impenetrable mind of the tightly-wound Tactician would meander, picturing what it would be like if just the two of them had an inkling of deeply precious (and just as impossible) alone time. The Shield's mind was filled with wonderful things - tales from diverse novels, knowledge of flora and their various medicinal purposes, a plethora of practical and interesting facts...

_How would Gladio react to a gift of flowers?_

The suddenness of the thought surprised Ignis. But as he looked around and became increasingly aware of the various floral stalls, scattered flower pots, and draperies blooming across town, he wondered if he should humor his strange thought just this once. Fate seemed to be very direct about pointing him toward this particular path.

The question would then be, what to give him? Would gifting him gladioli be too… strange? Ignis tried to draw upon a book he read, years ago, about the way flowers could represent messages between the giver and recipient. The “Language of Flowers.”

Gladioli… would the choice be too obvious? He shared names with the flower, after all… certainly fitting. If he did choose gladioli, they needed to be balanced out by something white, or something pink… carnations? Would that look well placed next to the large bloom-covered stem of the gladiolus? A flat white or pink blossom might not be the best contrast to its shape. And the message of good luck didn't seem to mix well. What about white roses? Purity… placed beside the gladioli, it could be read as a message of pure, true strength. It was exactly how Ignis saw him.

Perhaps some aster as well, pink, to show Ignis' own sense of interest. And blue delphinium, for his open heart. Any more, and the bouquet might send too many messages. Would Gladio understand? Ignis briefly recalled letting him borrow a flower-language book, only because it also held some medicinal information he thought Gladio could find useful. Perhaps, somewhere in his mind, Gladio might be able to read the bouquet? But even if he couldn't… Ignis at least wanted his gift to look appealing. Then there was what to anticipate as a response… didn't he mention having a girlfriend in passing? Or was that so long ago that he'd just imagined it?

So many questions, so many...

In the end, he settled on a bouquet of mixed blue gladioli and delphinium, sprinkled with white roses and blush-pink aster. He hesitantly approached the nearest flower stand and relayed his idea, watching as the florist’s expert hands arranged and bundled each bloom with delicate care, wrapping everything neatly together in clear plastic with a trimmed length of deep blue ribbon.

“I hope this bouquet brings happiness,” the vendor said, nodding thoughtfully as he counted the money that Ignis gave him. When everything was in order, he handed Ignis the bouquet and turned to welcome approaching customers to the stall.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do, now that he had the bouquet. Head back to the hotel? Noctis and Prompto would be sure to question and tease him if he was seen with it before he had his chance… perhaps that wasn’t the best idea.

He could kill some time before returning? Ignis looked around in the waning light for his next idea. There was a bridge to his right, crossing over the canal. He ascended the steps but stopped in his tracks when he saw Gladio about to cross the bridge’s other side. Was it too late to turn away? Should he allow himself this one moment, this rare blink of time between them? He’d let too many opportunities in the past go because he was too afraid of coming across as selfish...

Before he could make a decision on his own, fate acted instead as Gladio caught sight of him, preventing an easy escape.

“Hey, Iggy! Wasn’t expecting you to be out this late.” Gladio smiled warmly as he closed the remaining distance between them until they were face to face, centered on the bridge. “What’s up? Found any good food stands yet?”

“I, ah… did have a bit of shopping to attend to, yes.” No longer able to keep them a surprise, he awkwardly gestured to the bouquet in his hands.

Gladio eyed the bouquet and went silent, scanning each flower quickly but deliberately, and Ignis wished for a moment that he could disappear into himself; everything was becoming so embarrassing. Were people staring?

“Nice bouquet,” Gladio said, voice strangely soft, “That for you? Or for someone else? Everything okay?”

Unable to string a proper sentence together, he held out the bouquet and hoped that would speak for him until he could find his words. Gladio’s eyes seemed to shine in the fading light, a glimmer reflecting the sunset-painted waters below.

“These are for me?” Gladio asked, taking the bouquet in his hands as if it were priceless. “I, um… don’t know what to say! Other than thank you, of course.” A brief chuckle at the end of his sentence did little to ease the tension in the air.

“Perhaps we should do this in private…”

A silence fell between them as Ignis turned, gesturing to one of the empty tables against the wall behind them.

“Something you’d like to say?”

Gladio tilted his head, waiting for a response.

“I… ah… yes, I suppose there is,” Ignis muttered, feeling an uncomfortable heat rising in his face. “These flowers are for you because… I wanted to express my gratitude, for all that you’ve done. That you’ve always been there for me, even when you’ve already gone through so much. You always find time for me and I appreciate that more than I can say. I really care about you… well, more than simply care, rather. I… I love you, Gladiolus.”

His words were met with a gentle smile. “Thought you’d never say… looks like I owe Noct some money.”

“You what?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Gladio chuckled, wrapping an arm around Ignis’ waist to lead him away. “How ‘bout we spend a little more time together; just the two of us tonight. Consider it our first official date. What better place than Altissia to get carried away in romance?”

“I never considered you the hopeless romantic type,” Ignis quipped, but in good humor, letting his hand rest against Gladiolus’ on his hip.

Gladio shook his head and gestured to the bouquet in his other hand. “Nope; not hopeless, Iggy, ‘cause I’ve got you! C’mon, let’s go this way. I’ve got something to give you too.”

Without another word, Gladio directed them easily through the crowd, the flickering stars above coupling with the faint ambience of the street lights to illuminate their path. Ignis realized Gladio was taking them back toward the hotel and simply followed along. What confused him was when his partner abruptly paused in front of a stall, the attendant hurriedly finishing up their last sales for the night.

“Excuse me, are you still open? There’s something I’d like to buy,” Gladio said, sure to turn up his ever-helpful charm when the shopkeep looked at him with an exasperated expression. “I already know what I want, those two right there, those sizes. You can keep the change, if you’d like. This’s really important to me right now. Sorry I’m here late.”

He held up two bills - certainly way more than necessary. The shopkeep quickly accepted the money and opened their display case to remove two gold rings, leaf and petal patterns engraved in the band with a morning glory as its centerpiece. Promises. Gladiolus was gifting him a promise ring.

“Would you like boxes for those?” the shopkeep asked, but Gladio simply shrugged, thanked them, and ushered Ignis back on the road toward the hotel, rings clicking against each other in his pocket as they walked away.

Ignis was about to take the path back to the hotel but Gladio quickly pulled him down a shaded side street, away from the stream of people crowding the walkway. He set his bouquet down on a nearby bench and held out his hand, waiting for Ignis’ approval.

The gloved hand resting in Gladio’s palm didn’t stay gloved for long - he carefully slipped it off and tucked it into his pocket, pulling out one of the two rings and sliding it onto Ignis’ ring finger.

“I’d wanted to get you something too. You’re always keeping me - well, keeping all of us - in line. You deserve more credit than you’re given. I know we’re probably gonna get real busy really soon, but before all that I wanted to spend a little bit of time just the two of us, so I could finally tell you how I felt about you. It’d be kind of awkward doing all this in front of Noct and Prompto, y’know… so, I, uh…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself, I already understand,” Ignis said, smiling. Sneakily his ungloved hand slipped into Gladio’s open pocket and withdrew the second ring. “Allow me?”

“Of course,” Gladio chuckled, eyebrow raising at Ignis’ unexpected pickpocketing skill. “My hand’s all yours.”

Ignis made sure to place the ring on the same hand as his, and they gleamed faintly, metal shining against the yellow glow of the street lamps nearby. Their rings clinked together as their hands clasped, and Ignis savored the first, perfect taste of Gladio’s lips against his - mint and spice, and the unmistakable, practiced richness of a true romantic’s tongue.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the Full Bloom Mods & team for putting together such a beautiful zine, every time I look at my copy and all the amazing merch I cry happy tears ; u ; everyone did such a fantastic job with their pieces!


End file.
